ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
DG, NMCG Instructs Officials to Expedite Work on All 29 Projects in Bihar Under Namami Gange Programme
Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga  Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra held a review meeting yesterday in New Delhi about projects in Bihar under Namami Gange programme and urged the officials of the state government, executing agencies and contractors to expedite the work.
In Bihar, presently, a total of 29 projects are sanctioned which are at various stages of implementation at a sanctioned cost of Rs. 4942.13 crore. In the meeting, it was decided that tenders will be called on sewerage projects in Munger, Hajipur, Begusarai and Bhagalpur by the end of this month.
DG, NMCG also reviewed in detail the progress of 8 projects for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone in Mokama and Motihari on 14th October 2017 and 10th April 2018 respectively. While in Mokama foundation stone was laid for 4 projects in Beur and Karmalichak sewerage zones of Patna, in Motihari, PM laid the foundation stone for 4 projects in Pahari and Saidpur zones of Patna.
The Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Nitin Gadkari had said during the signing of the concession agreement for the Mathura project on 13th June 2018 that the Government is determined to clean the tributaries of Ganga as well. During yesterday’s meeting with the DG, a detailed discussion was carried out on the projects being taken up on the tributaries of Ganga in Bihar. The towns in Bihar for which Detailed Project Reports  are being prepared are Supaul, Madhepura, Samastipur, Arwal, Gopalganj, Bagaha, Lakhisarai and Jamui. These projects will be taken up on Kosi, BurhiGandak, Mahananda, Sone, Gandak, Kiul and Bagmati tributaries of Ganga.
DG, NMCG along with other senior officials took stock of the progress of all projects going on in Bihar under the Namami Gange programme. Apart from the representatives of the state government and the executing agencies, the meeting was also attended by the representatives of contractors. While urging the state government officials to ensure that deadlines are adhered to, DG, NMCG exhorted the contractors to expedite the work and keep to the timelines of the projects.
Ministry of Finance
Auction for Sale  of  ‘GoI Floating Rate Bond 2028’,  ‘6.54% GS 2032’, and  ‘6.95% GS 2061’
The Government of India  has announced the Sale  of
 ‘‘GoI Floating Rate Bonds, 2028’ for a notified amount of ₹4,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method;  ‘6.54% Government Security, 2032’ for a notified amount of ₹13,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method; and  ‘6.95% Government Security 2061’ for a notified amount of ₹6,000 crore  through price based auction using multiple price method. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to ₹2,000 crore each against one or more security/ies. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on Friday i.e. February 25, 2022.
Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the Securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.
Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution  system on February 25, 2022. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 11.00 a.m.and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.
The result of the auctions will be announced on February 25, 2022  and payment by successful bidders will be on February 28, 2022 .
The Securities will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018 as amended from time to time.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
India-Germany join hands for cooperation on ‘Water& Waste Management
The 3rd Indo-German Working Group for cooperation on  water and  waste management concluded in New Delhitoday.Delegations from both the ministries – The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change , Government of India and The Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety , Germany – have met and discussed potential cooperation areas in the field of water and waste management.
Though, India-Germany bilateral economic cooperation has been robust and India’s priorities in most areas match with German expertise, but bilateral co-operation in the field of Environment got further strengthened when both the environment ministries organized Second Indo-German Environment Forum during January 2015 wherein these two working groups were constituted, which concluded its third meeting today.
The Indian delegation was headed by Shri Anil Kumar Jain  and experts/officials from CPCB, line ministries, GIZ-India contributed to the discussion. Mr. Jain reiterated that as Indo-German Climate and Renewables Alliance, cooperation in field of Environment needs to be strengthened. The outcomes will be taken up to higher level of collaboration during the Third Indo-German Environment Forum which is scheduled in New Delhi on February 13, 2019 wherein both the Environment Ministers will meet to come up with some major announcements.
The German Delegation was headed by Dr. Regina Dube, Director-General for Water Management and Resource Conservation, BMU-Germany and she stated that Indian side have been very supportive in taking the work ahead.
Both sides concluded today to take work further on – developing reference documents for Textile Sector, Air, Water Governance, Marine Litter, Waste to Energy , Bio-methanation, Landfill Sites, Water quality management, training and capacity building of local bodies&Circular Economy.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Amendment In Easements Act, 1882
As per available information, the ground water levels in certain parts of the country are declining because of continuous withdrawal necessitated by increased demand of fresh water for various uses, vagaries of rainfall, increased population, industrialization & urbanization etc, Certain provision of Easements Act 1882 may have contributed to over-extraction of groundwater in certain places vis-à-vis extraction of groundwater by the landowners for domestic and agricultural purposes.
Though water is a State subject, Central Government has taken a number of important measures for conservation, management of ground water including effective implementation of rain water harvesting in the country, which can be seen at
URL:http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Feb2021.pdf
Central Ground Water Authority  has been constituted under the ‘Environment  Act, 1986’ for the purpose of regulation and control of ground water extraction. The Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation has issued latest guidelines for regulation and control of groundwater extraction on 24 Sept. 2020. These guidelines advocate a participatory approach for sustainable ground water management in agriculture sector including working towards crop rotation, diversification & other initiatives to reduce over-dependence on groundwater. CGWA is regulating ground water in 20 states/UTs and in remaining States/UTs, regulation is being carried out by respective State Governments/UT Administration.
This Information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Bishweswar Tudu in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Union Sports Minister Shri Anurag Thakur and MOS, Sports, Shri Nisith Pramanik to send-off first batch of Indian athletes from Delhi for Tokyo Olympics
With the Tokyo Olympics set to commence in a week’s time, a formal send-off ceremony will take place today at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport as the first batch of athletes depart from India to Tokyo. The contingent of 88 which includes 54 athletes, support staff and Indian Olympic Association  representatives will be given a formal send-off in an event by Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports and Shri Nisith Pramanik, Minister of State, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. They will be joined by Shri Narinder Dhruv Batra, President, IOA; Shri Rajeev Mehta, Secretary General, IOA and Shri Sandip Pradhan, Director-General, Sports Authority of India at the ceremony.
Athletes and support staff in eight sports, Archery , Hockey, Badminton, Table Tennis, Archery, Judo, Gymnastics and Weightlifting will be departing from New Delhi today with largest contingent being of hockey .
To ensure the safety of the athletes, all dignitaries attending the event will have had their COVID tests done . Only those with negative reports, will be attending the event. All social distancing measures have also been put in place on this occasion .
127 Indian athletes have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, which is a record, overhauling the 117 that qualified for the Rio Olympics.
Prime Minister's Office
PM pays homage to Former PM Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, on his Punya Tithi
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid homage to Former Prime Minister of India Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, on his Punya Tithi.
“We pay homage to Shastri Ji on his Punya Tithi. His impeccable service and courageous leadership will be remembered for generations to come”, the Prime Minister said.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Violation of FDI Norms
Enforcement Directorate is conducting investigation in 581 cases under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999  for alleged violation of FDI norms. Disclosure of other details of these cases may not be in large public interest as the same may adversely impact the ongoing investigations.
It has been the endeavour of the Government to put in place an enabling and investor friendly FDI policy. The intent is to make the FDI policy more investor friendly and remove the policy bottlenecks that have been hindering investment inflows into the country. The onus of compliance with the FDI norms lies on the entity that is the recipient of FDI.
The Foreign Direct Investment  inflows have been going up each year, as against any of the previous years:
|
|
S. No.
|
|
Financial Year
|
|
Total FDI Inflows

|
|
1.
|
|
2016-17
|
|
60.22
|
|
2.
|
|
2017-18
|
|
60.97
|
|
3.
|
|
2018-19
|
|
64.38
|
|
4.
|
|
2019-20 
|
|
6.95
NOTE: Figures are provisional subject to reconciliation with RBI.
This information was given by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
National Creche Schemes
The number of functional crèches under the ‘National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers’ in the country during the last three years is as under:
|
|
During the Year
|
|
Number of Creches
|
|
2017-18
|
|
18040
|
|
2018-19
|
|
8018
|
|
2019-20
|
|
6458
The Maternity Benefit  Act, 2017 requires every establishment having fifty or more employees to have the facility of crèche within a prescribed distance. The State Governments, who are the appropriate Government under the Maternity Benefit Act for establishments other than mines and circus, are required to frame rules for the purposes of the Act, including inter alia for prescribing amenities and facilities required to be provided in such crèches, in light of which the Ministry of Labour and Employment has already requested all the State Governments on 17.11.2017. In addition, Ministry of Women and Child Development has also issued directions/guidelines, from time to time, to the States and Union Territories on various aspects including inter alia for creating awareness among the communities about the prescribed amenities and facilities to be provided in Creches.
In this regard, a communication dated 02.11.2018 enclosing the National Minimum Guidelines for setting up and running crèches under Maternity Benefit  Act, 2017 was issued to the Ministries/Departments, States & UTs, advising the requisite know how to set up model crèches facilities with adequate provisions, measures to be taken to create awareness about the Creche facilities among the communities and to promote willingness among working mothers to avail such facilities. Further, a letter dated 04.05.2021 was issued to States/UTs to ensure availability of crèche facilities, and to allow concerned women four visits a day to crèche and interval for rest in accordance with the legal provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act. No data in respect of firms employing more than fifty employees and where crèche is established is maintained centrally.
Decision for running and continuation of operations of crèches is taken by State Governments and UT Administrations on the basis of verification and inspections got done by them. The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India releases fund to States and UTs on receipt of proposals supported with necessary documentation and information from them.
The steps taken by Government for proper implementation of the ‘National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers’ include monitoring through inspections of crèches, verification of their operations, and follow ups through meetings, video conferences and discussions with the concerned officials of States and UTs.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Finance
Webcast on problems faced in “GST Registration”
As part of a series of webcasts for addressing the queries of taxpayers on issues pertaining to Goods and Service Tax  and Customs, Directorate General of Systems, CBIC and Directorate General of Taxpayer Services, CBIC are organizing a webcast on the problems faced in “GST Registration”. The said webcast will be held on 05.03.2020  from 11:00 A.M to 01:00 P.M. The YouTube URL for the webcast would be:
https://youtube.com/channel/UCbzIbBmMvtvH7d6Zo_ZEHDA
Prime Minister's Office
PM to attend NCC rally tomorrow
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will attend the National Cadet Corps  rally at the Cariappa Parade ground in New Delhi tomorrow.
At the event, Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour and review the March Past by the various NCC contingents. Along with a cultural performance, NCC cadets will present before the Prime Minister their capabilities in fields such as adventure sports, music and performance arts.
Prime Minister will also distribute awards for the meritorious NCC cadets and will later address the gathering.
Every year, hundreds of NCC cadets come to New Delhi for the Republic Day camp. Last year, Prime Minister while addressing the NCC rally had applauded their efforts in the relief and rescue operations during natural disasters as well as their efforts for the promotion of initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
Ministry of Civil Aviation
New Airports Constructed and Upgraded
The Government has accorded 'In-principle approval' for setting up of 21 Greenfield Airports across the country. So far nine  Greenfield airports have already been operationalized and tenth Greenfield airport at MoPA, Goa has been inaugurated on 11.12.2022. Since the year 2018, seven  Greenfield airports namely Pakyong , Kannur , Kalaburagi , Sindhudurg , Kushinagar , Orvakal  and Donyi Polo  airports have been operationalized apart from inauguration of Manohar International Airport at MoPA, Goa.
Upgradation of airports is a continuous process and is undertaken by Airports Authority of India  from time to time depending on the availability of land, commercial viability, socio-economic considerations, traffic demand/ willingness of airlines to operate to/ from such airports etc. For the construction and upgradation of airports, AAI has incurred CAPEX of Rs. 2504.38 crore in 2017-18, Rs. 4297.44 crore in 2018-19, Rs. 4713.49 crore in 2019-20, Rs. 4350 crore in 2020-21 and Rs. 3724.34 crore in 2021-22.
During pre-covid period, in the year 2018-19 the number of passengers footfall at airports across the country increased by 11.6% as compared to previous year i.e. 2017-18. The passengers footfall decreased during pandemic era. However, post-covid, in the year 2021-22 the trend shows an increase of 63.7% over the year 2020-21.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Gen.  V. K. Singh  in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Defence
EXERCISE COPE INDIA 2023
The next phase of the Exercise Cope India 23 will commence at Air Force Station Kalaikunda on 13 April 2023. This segment of the exercise will witness participation of B1B bombers of the United States Air Force . F-15 fighter aircraft of the USAF will also join the exercise subsequently. The Indian Air Force  element will include the Su-30 MKI, Rafale, Tejas and Jaguar fighter aircraft. The exercise will be supported by aerial refuellers, Airborne Warning and Control System and Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft of the IAF. The exercise will conclude on 24 April 2023.
Like the air mobility component of the Ex Cope-India -23, this phase will also help enhance professional relations between the two air forces, while sharing the best practices between them. Personnel from the Japanese Air Self Defence Force will also observe the exercise and interact with the two participating air forces.
Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew on his 100th birth anniversary
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew on his 100th birth anniversary.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
"My tributes to the great Lee Kuan Yew on the special occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. His visionary leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation. His foresight and relentless pursuit of excellence are a testament to his personal greatness. His work continues to inspire leaders worldwide.”
Ministry of Power
NTPC Group capacity crosses 71GW
- NTPC Group capacity crosses 71 GW with successful completion of the trial operation of first unit of 660 MW North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project, Jharkhand 
- The Project will provide affordable power to the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha and has a coal source within a 10-kilometer radius
- The total installed capacity of NTPC has become 71544 MW
The country’s largest power generator, NTPC Group capacity crosses 71 GW with successful completion of the trial operation of first unit of 660 MW North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project, Jharkhand .
The project has been envisaged with Air Cooled Condenser  which has 1/3rd water footprint as compared to Water Cooled Condenser . The Project will provide affordable power to the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha and has a coal source within a 10-kilometer radius .
The foundation for this NTPC project in Jharkhand was laid by the then-Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This plant is based on one of the most efficient Supercritical Technology.
With this addition, the total installed capacity of NTPC has become 71544 MW.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Second Advance Estimates  of Area and Production of Horticultural Crops released
Horticulture Production in 2021-22 estimated 341.63 Million Tonne with increase of about 7.03 Million Tonne
The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare released the Second Advance Estimates of Area and Production of various Horticultural Crops for 2021-22 compiled on the basis of information received from States/ UTs and other Governmental source agencies.
|
|
Total Horticulture
|
|
2020-21

|
|
2021-22

|
|
2021-22

|
|
Area
|
|
27.48
|
|
27.56
|
|
27.74
|
|
Production
|
|
334.60
|
|
333.25
|
|
341.63
2021-22 
- Total Horticulture production in 2021-22 is estimated to be 341.63 Million Tonne, an increase of about 7.03 Million Tonne  over 2020-21 .
- Increase in production of Fruits, Vegetables and Honey while decrease in production of Spices, Flowers,Aromatics & Medicinal Plants and Plantation Crops over previous year, is envisaged.
- The Fruits production is estimated to be 107.10 Million Tonne compared to 102.48 Million Tonne in 2020-21.
- The production of Vegetables is estimated to be 204.61 Million Tonne, compared to. 200.45 Million Tonne in 2020-21.
- Onion production is estimated to be 31.70 Million Tonne against 26.64 Million Tonne in 2020-21.
- Potato production is expected to be 53.58 Million Tonne, compared to 56.17 Million Tonne in 2020-21.
- Tomato production is expected to be 20.34 Million Tonne, compared to 21.18 Million Tonne in 2020-21.
Click here fot detailed 2nd Advance Estimates of Area and Production of various Horticultural Crops
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
Launch of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojna Dashboard
Digital India is a flagship programme of the Government of India with the vision to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The programme covers multiple Government Ministries and Departments with the aim of building a culture of ‘good governance’ that functions on evidence-based decision making. It is in line with Prime Minister's vision to use technology as a means to empower and as a tool that bridges the distance between hope and opportunity. In view of the same, Shri Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying launched the PMMSY MIS dashboard on 7th June 2022. The occasion was graced by Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Minister of State, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Dr L Murugan, Minister of State, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Information and Broadcasting, Shri J.N. Swain, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Shri Atul Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Dr J Balaji, Joint Secretary , Shri Sagar Mehra, Joint Secretary  and other senior officials.
PMMSY scheme was launched in May 2020 with the highest ever investment of Rs. 20,050 crores for focussed and holistic development of the fisheries sector while ensuring socio-economic wellbeing of fishermen, fish farmers and other stakeholders. Till date a total project investment of Rs 7242.90 Crores  has been done under PMMSY. Keeping in view the vast scope of the PMMSY scheme with multitude locations and components and move towards digitalisation, it is imperative to put a Management Information System  in place for aggregating information on one platform. The PMMSY MIS dashboard aims at  effective monitoring of the PMMSY scheme activities and their progress in all participating States/UTs  strategically utilising the information for informed decision making. PMMSY MIS application aggregates the data from all participating states/UTs, analyses the data and projects the data in form of a dashboard for sectoral insights. Key performance parameters are used for projecting overall performance at national and State/UT levels, thus highlighting specific achievements and gaps.
With the realisiation of this strategic technological initiative, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying congratulated and appreciated the efforts of the department officials and the technical team from the PMMSY – PMC .
As the data is fed into the MIS system at district level by each participating States/UT, the platform is a true indicator of the PMMSY scheme progress. The information is further used for coordination, gap analysis and requirement to take corrective actions. With many other technological development activities in pipeline for MIS dashboard improvement, the Department of Fisheries and PMC team has been simultaneously making efforts for on boarding of all the states/UTs through hands-on training on the platform and creating awareness.